Wisdom on a Balcony
by MendaciousMinx
Summary: Kaito Kid and Conan Edogawa meet on a balcony around dusk to talk. Written with a total of 32 memorable quotes, their discussion explores life, death, and the nature of nobility.


A/N: I'm not sure if this idea's original--I haven't seen any of these before. Anyway, the entire dialogue is written in famous and moderately famous quotes. At the bottom you'll find a reference, telling you who said what originally. In the mean time, enjoy the conversation and look for things you've heard before. This is shock-full of things to impress your friends and relatives with. At times the transitions may be a little rough, but please understand that finding each of these quotes and working them in was painstaking and incredibly difficult. Be nice--this is my baby you're criticizing. Also, in fairness, all quotes were obtained from quotationspage.

* * *

Conan barely noticed when the white wraith joined him on the balcony, but flicked his eyes toward the Phantom Thief nonetheless to hail him. "Crime is naught but misdirected energy."

Kid grinned. He knew this conversation well--it was the one they had every time they met. "Behind every great fortune there is a crime."

"Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth," Conan responded, rolling his eyes in irritation.

Kid laughed, sweeping off his top hat and setting it on the rail. "There are few nudities so objectionable as the naked truth."

The child detective clicked his tongue, turning slightly to glare at his companion. "Truth is the only safe ground to stand on."

Kaito sniffed airily, turning his nose in the air. He gestured at Conan. "The pride of youth is in strength and beauty," then he smirked, pointing to himself. "The pride of old age is in discretion."

At the reference to his apparent age, the boy stiffened noticeably. "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."

The magician nodded sagely, conceding to this point. "The purpose of life is to fight maturity."

For a moment they stood in silence, staring into space. Eventually, though, Kaito spoke up again. "Life is just one damned thing after another."

Conan, however, shook his head and smiled ruefully. "It's not true that life is one damn thing after another; it is one damn thing over and over."

They both had to smile at that, as each knew in his own way that it was true.

Kaito shrugged off the topic vaguely. "Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about."

His young friend blinked in surprise, turning to look at him. "Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious."

Again Kid's melodic laughter rang out--Conan, of course, would know all about evidence. Thinking on it for a moment, he finally said, "Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act."

Dismissing the older boy's complaint, Conan shot back "Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all."

But Kid shook his head. "Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome."

Overtaken by a feeling of morbidity, Conan's head sank onto his hands and he sighed. "Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny."

Surprised by this sudden change of attitude, Kid stared at Conan. In an attempt to warn him of what his dying might mean, he said softly "A man should not leave this earth with unfinished business. He should live each day as if it was a pre-flight check. He should ask each morning, am I prepared to lift-off?"

Conan nodded gently. It was true that everyone should live to the fullest, but sometimes... "Think not disdainfully of death, but look on it with favor; for even death is one of the things that Nature wills."

Becoming more and more concerned about this train of thought, Kaito placed a gloved hand on the child's shoulder. "As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death." He put emphasis on the word _happy_. The way he saw it, unless you were happy you weren't ready to die.

The detective sighed again, and then laughed in embarrassment. "I'm afraid I'm being an awful nuisance."

At the word 'afraid', Kid saw a desperate opportunity to change the subject. Jumping at it, he said hastily "Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom."

Conan made a 'humph' sound, thinking of the vague meaning of wisdom. "Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself," he thought for a moment of Ran's father and sneered gently. "But talent instantly recognizes genius." Here he glanced appreciatively at Kid, who beamed, but wagged a finger at the boy.

"There is no great genius without some touch of madness," he crooned in a singsong voice.

The young detective laughed, knowing that there was no madness at all in Kid--just a clever facade. "Secret thoughts and open countenance will go safely over the whole world."

Kid pouted daintily. "To him that you tell your secret you resign your liberty."

Conan bobbed his head in agreement, thinking of the secret he had to keep from those he loved--and of why. "No one can build his security upon the nobleness of another person."

Seeing that the conversation was slanting in the direction of the deep and depressing once again, Kid placed the back of his hand to his forehead, and cried dramatically "I too shall lie in the dust when I am dead, but now let me win noble renown!"

Stifling his laughter, Conan clapped a hand over his own mouth. Once he had himself under control, he quipped "Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives."

With a cry of disbelief, Kid threw his hands into the air. "Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish!"

The child grinned cheekily, poking Kid's white-clad side. "Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege."

The sun was beginning to rise in the East, and Kid knew that his friends would miss him soon. He placed his top hat back on hit head and winked at Conan. "The point of living and of being an optimist, is to be foolish enough to believe the best is yet to come." And with that, he leapt from the balcony and vanished.

Conan shook his head slowly, his lips twisting into a funny sort of smile as he stared at the place where Kid had just been. "I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man's being unable to sit still in a room." Turning, he walked back inside.

Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious.

Brendan Gill

The purpose of life is to fight maturity.

Dick Werthimer

It's not true that life is one damn thing after another; it is one damn thing over and over.

Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 - 1950)

Life is just one damned thing after another.

Elbert Hubbard (1856 - 1915)

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.

Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992)

Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.

Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), Lady Windermere's Fan, 1892, Act I

Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act.

Truman Capote (1924 - 1984)

Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all.

William Goldman

Death is better, a milder fate than tyranny.

Aeschylus

A man should not leave this earth with unfinished business. He should live each day as if it was a pre-flight check. He should ask each morning, am I prepared to lift-off?

Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

I'm afraid I'm being an awful nuisance.

Edith Sitwell

As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.

Leonardo da Vinci

Think not disdainfully of death, but look on it with favor; for even death is one of the things that Nature wills.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.

Bertrand Russell

Secret thoughts and open countenance will go safely over the whole world.

Scipione Alberti

To him that you tell your secret you resign your liberty.

Anonymous

Truth is the only safe ground to stand on.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

There are few nudities so objectionable as the naked truth.

Agnes Repplier

I too shall lie in the dust when I am dead, but now let me win noble renown.

Homer (800 BC - 700 BC), The Iliad

Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.

Oscar Wilde

No one can build his security upon the nobleness of another person.

Willa Cather

Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Crime is naught but misdirected energy.

Emma Goldman (1869 - 1940), Anarchism (1910)

Behind every great fortune there is a crime.

Honore de Balzac

There is no great genius without some touch of madness.

Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD), Epistles

Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes.

Doctor Who

The pride of youth is in strength and beauty, the pride of old age is in discretion.

Democritus

Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.

Euripides

Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege.

Unknown

I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man's being unable to sit still in a room.

Blaise Pascal

The point of living and of being an optimist, is to be foolish enough to believe the best is yet to come.

Peter Ustinov


End file.
